Paul Tisdale is back at Exeter City for the first time on Saturday, with new club MK Dons, and the former Grecians boss admits he has mixed emotions about his return.

Not since Terry Cooper with Birmingham City in 1991 has a former manager returned to Exeter take on their former club and after 12 years and a rather messy divorce-like finish to his tenure at St James Park, it is perhaps understandable that Tisdale is slightly apprehensive about a return to a place he once called home.

Asked how he felt about returning to Exeter, Tisdale said: “Good question... mixed. It’s very mixed.

“I am looking forward to seeing some of my friends, I am looking forward to going back there having not been there since the play-off semi-final game against Lincoln - I haven’t been back since that day - even the facilities have developed since I left, which I like to think I contributed hugely towards through my time there.

“So I am really looking forward to going back and seeing people. It is going to be a very interesting game in itself, with where we are in the league and where they are, and the fact it’s a couple of days after the window (closes) is interesting.

“Having spent 12 years there, it is a little surreal, but I am looking forward to it, although my feelings are mixed.

“I dearly want to win the game, looking forward to seeing people and revisiting where I spent and gave my life to for 12 years.”

After a wondrous first five years, in which Tisdale won promotion twice, reached a Wembley play-off final in his first year and then finished a post-war record of eighth in League One, things took a downturn when the Grecians were relegated from the third tier.

As the years passed, he lost the support of some fans – and most notably the Supporters’ Trust, who served notice on his two-year rolling contract after putting it to a vote to its members.

That did not sit well with Tisdale and the final two years of his tenure were strained, despite him leading the Grecians to back-to-back play-off finals, both of which City lost at Wembley.

Asked what sort of reception he would like to get from Exeter fans, he replied: “That’s for them to decide I suppose. And it’s football, you are talking about supporters and they all have a different view.

“You can’t please everyone, no matter how well you do, so I am sure there is an understanding that a lot happened over those 12 years in a positive nature.

“When the whistle bowls at 3pm, it is about your team winning. I understand that, but I am looking forward to it.

“We’ve got snow coming, we have weather, both teams have new players, so it will be an interesting few days.

“I can’t describe it purely for you... it’s going to be an interesting day.”

Tisdale took a plethora of people – coaches and players –with him to MK, which had served him well during his time at Exeter. One of those was captain Jordan Moore-Taylor, whose controversial move to MK from St James Park did not go down well with City fans last summer.

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Moore-Taylor picked up an injury in the Dons’ 1-0 defeat at Grimsby last week and missed the midweek win over Oldham Athletic. Asked if he would be available to return to Devon, Tisdale said: “I don’t think so.

“He wants to be available and he was never going to be available for Northampton away a month ago, but he convinced me that he could be.